93
A Peace That Arrived Like a Miracle
And then—almost miraculously—peace arrived.Where the fires of war had died down, an unexpected spark of negotiation was kindled.
At its center stood Nahaču.Watching the movements of the Goryeo forces that had taken Yoyang and Simsu, he finally accepted reality.
He had hesitated long, endured longer.But what unfolded at the Battle of Simsu was enough to shift his judgment.
The scenes he must have heard of—the unorthodox mobility and firepower of the Goryeo army—forced him to recalculate.
A mixture of awe and fear toward Goryeo settled into his assessment.
Baegin-gun himself stepped forward and met Nahaču face to face.The talks were long, and the decision was reached not by the sword, but over maps.
And so, the war ended.
There were no ceremonies.No cheers.Only the fact of its ending spread quietly through the camps.
When the news reached Yoyang Fortress, an odd current flowed through the barracks.Park Seong-jin remembered the fragments of conversation he overheard while clearing snow in front of his tent.
"They say we're going back soon.""A replacement force is coming.""But… not everyone goes together."
Rumors spread quickly.When the rotation troops arrived, some would return first, while others would remain behind to wait for reassignment.
No one announced it officially.Yet the soldiers already knew.
"We've only been given half a peace."Oh Jin-cheol let out a bitter smile."Only half of us leave.The other half stays bound here."
Park Seong-jin lifted his head.The sky over Yoyang was clear, sunlight scattering across melting snow.The warmth felt unfamiliar.
The fighting was over, yet he stood before another door of choice—the door called return.
That night, he quietly drew his sword.It was time to learn not how to wield it, but how to lay it down.
Moonlight settled on the thawing earth.In that light, he murmured as if to himself,
"Is it time… to go back?"
Yet Mount Guwol remained in one corner of his heart—the place beneath the rock where three black pines stood.
Should he go there?Finding that answer might take longer than the war itself.
It could be a life wagered on a single passing word.But once in a lifetime, this life was worth staking.
Even if he never reached the realm of the immortals, it would be enough.Out of tens of thousands, perhaps only one ever did.
But in striving toward that path, perhaps—even from a faint, distant place—one might glimpse eternity.
That thought was slowly pulling him away from the routines of the camp.
Aftermath
Following the sudden armistice, the Goryeo court moved swiftly.True to a state that prized its military, it hastened the dispatch of replacement forces and the return and triumphal entry of Baegin-gun.
It was a victory worthy of record.Though the enemy was not a massive standing army, the complete eradication of the Honggeon forces—who had once occupied Gaegyeong—was unmistakable.
Envoys were immediately sent to Beiping and Shangdu, announcing the defeat of the Honggeon rebels.The war was thus recorded as a perfect victory.
Park Seong-jin passed his days in relative quiet.Whenever he had time, he immersed himself in sword practice.
That day was no different.Spring sunlight settled on a sunlit slope, loosening bodies and minds long stiffened by winter.
Soldiers gathered in warm patches like sick chickens, dozing.
Then Oh Jin-cheol sprang up and shouted,"Attention!"
The drowsy soldiers lifted their heads all at once.
At that moment, Baegin-gun, the hero of the war, entered the camp with his subordinate officers.
Hwang Hyeon-pil hurried forward and shouted at rigid attention,"Attention!"
The men quickly formed ranks behind him.
An army must always hold formation.Otherwise, some commanders would seize even that as a pretext for reprimand.
Those who took private gain while ordering subordinates to die for the state—that sight had not changed across the ages.It was always the commanders who emerged unscathed.
The soldiers who fell as bait never spoke.
"Rest."Baegin-gun raised a hand.
Hwang Hyeon-pil immediately echoed,"Unit, at ease!"
A subtle stir passed through the ranks.
It was an unusual sight.Even a Jungnangjang (5th rank) or Nangjang (6th rank) would rarely visit such a low-level unit, let alone the supreme commander himself.
Inside, curses rose.
What scheme is this bastard plotting now?
Ordinarily, the highest officers they encountered were a Byeoljang (7th rank) or Sanwon (8th rank).But this was the grand general—the overall commander of the campaign, bearer of the imperial axe-and-halberd authority.
Baegin-gun spoke slowly.
"You suffered heavy losses in this battle.The tactic was unavoidable given that the enemy would not engage, but the casualties were greater than expected… I have little to say."
Hwang Hyeon-pil shouted at once,"We are fine!"
When those words echoed through the camp, Park Seong-jin did not lift his head.
Those who were fine were the commanders.Those who were not were the names left behind in the snow.
Baegin-gun paused, then continued.
"The court in Gaegyeong is pressing for our return.Stabilizing the occupied territory would normally require waiting for reinforcements…but waiting is no longer permitted."
His tone was gentle, yet his decisions were always heavy.
"I must return first.Therefore, the heavy-crossbow unit that suffered the greatest losses will be designated as the first return group and will accompany me."
Hwang Hyeon-pil shouted again, loudly,"Attention! Thank you!"
The men swallowed their cheers.To those unaware, it sounded like good news.
But every decision has a reason.And rarely is that reason kind to an individual life.
"We depart this afternoon. Prepare yourselves."
"Attention!"
The order was simple.Yet few, in that moment, fully grasped what it meant.
Brief Notes for English Readers
Honggeon (홍건적 / Red Turban remnants):Rebel forces originating in late Yuan China, some of whom invaded Goryeo and briefly occupied Gaegyeong. By this point, they exist mainly as scattered remnants.
Nahaču (나하추):A powerful regional warlord of the Northern Yuan sphere, operating in Liaodong. Neither fully enemy nor ally—his position is one of strategic suspension.
Baegin-gun (백인군):Supreme commander of the Goryeo expeditionary forces in this campaign.